


Learning to Fly

by keelywolfe



Series: by any other name [37]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Spicyhoney - Freeform, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underswap Papyrus (Undertale), Undertale Monsters on the Surface, fluuuuuuff - Freeform, papcest - Freeform, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 08:33:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16740613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keelywolfe/pseuds/keelywolfe
Summary: Stretch enjoys the exhibit. Edge enjoys watching Stretch. It works out for everyone.





	Learning to Fly

**Author's Note:**

> This is no way forwards any of the plots, it is only for my own soulful enjoyment. Please, bask in the fluff with me.

* * *

Edge had never seen Stretch so still.

He was sitting on a bench, surrounded by towering trees with broad leaves outstretched, his rumpled pamphlet discarded next to him and every bit of him straining to keep still in an effort to entice. Sunlight was streaming in through the glass panels overhead, muted by the time it reached the ground and lighting the entire room. 

The conservatory was very warm, and Stretch had shed his sweatshirt after only a few minutes inside. It was draped over Edge’s arm now as he stood back and watched, noting that Stretch’s t-shirt was getting on the thin side. He could see the shadow of his ribcage through it and while he was perfectly fine with the view, his preference was to keep it to himself, particularly in a public garden.

Along the cobbled pathways were a variety of flowers and greenery, discrete plaques listing their common and scientific name. The exhibit had opened a few weeks earlier and the crowds had died back to only the few humans strolling along, examining the foliage hopefully. 

Much as he’d known that Stretch would love the butterfly exhibition, Edge had chosen not to tell him until some of the excitement surrounding it had abated. The potential for injury was too great with that many Humans milling around and much as Stretch hated being coddled, there were times it was necessary. Better to simply avoid the debate.

A group of uniformed schoolchildren walked past in a hushed cloud of awed whispers and giggles, drawing an occasional hissed admonishment from their guardian. One of the girls paused, peering out through the throng of her classmates and caught his eye. 

Edge raised a browbone at her and to his bemusement, she raised her hand in a timid wave. He allowed a faint smile and waved back, watching as her eyes lit up and she grinned in delight, bouncing on her toes before turning to chase after her group. Edge could only shake his head. 

Once, he’d inspired terror with that very same look; it was a little disconcerting to have it become tool of childish happiness. Disconcerting, but not entirely unpleasant. 

A flutter of wings caught his attention and Edge turned around to catch a glimpse of scintillating colors high up in the leaves, iridescent blues alongside speckled white and black, contrasting against the scarlet and creamy yellow of the flowers. The little insects were everywhere, some large and others so tiny as to be barely visible in the vegetation. 

There was a copse of trees to his left, the rough bark rising from the ground, up and up to leafy fronds and green globes fruiting from the top. To Edge, that was as fascinating as the butterflies. His few past glimpses of palm trees in his various diplomatic travels were nothing compared to actually seeing a coconut outside of a grocery store. According to the plaque, another nearby tree was papaya and the heavy green pods of fruit were hanging out of reach. 

He wondered if it were possible to grow such a plant in a private home. They could hardly have one in the front yard, snow and palm trees were a poor mix, but perhaps if there was a dwarf variety? Something to consider. 

The thought trailed away when Edge turned around and saw Stretch again. 

A large butterfly had settled on Stretch’s knee. Edge was hardly familiar with any species past monarchs, but the brochure listed that one as an ‘Emperor Swallowtail’, the vibrant yellow on its wings standing out against the darkness of Stretch’s track pants. 

It fanned its wings slowly, seeming uncertain about its perch, then decided to settle, at least long enough for Edge to snap a picture of it, capturing not only the butterfly but the wonder in Stretch’s eye lights as he looked down at the tiny creature resting on his knee. 

Edge wasn’t entirely positive Stretch was breathing.

It lingered a moment longer, then with a flutter of wings, it returned to the air, likely seeking out one of the honey-water feeding stations. 

Following the path, Edge walked over to him, picking up his crumpled brochure and sitting on the bench. 

“did you see that?” Stretch breathed. His eye lights were bright and wide. 

“I did,” Edge assured him. Probably better to share the picture later if he didn’t want to spend the next few minutes forwarding it and then waiting for Stretch to post it to twitter. For the moment, social media seemed to be the last thing on Stretch’s mind, his hands fluttering much like the butterflies as he quivered in excitement.

“it landed right on me!” Stretch blurted, “right on me! that was an emperor swallowtail, _papilio ophidicephalus_ , they’re native to south africa and it was sitting right on me!”

“It was,” Edge agreed. He very much doubted that Stretch had gotten any of that information from the brochure. 

“they are so cool, they have special markings on them that can only be seen in ultraviolet light, isn’t that cool?”

“Very cool.” Long experience had taught him if he kept agreeing, Stretch would keep talking, drawing out his delight. It was only when silence greeted his excitement that he would trail off and find refuge in a cigarette and feigned apathy, a defense that Edge never wanted him to use, not with him. 

He reached over and took Stretch’s flailing hand his own and he automatically twined their fingers together, allowing Edge to draw it into his lap while he chattered away.

“…i mean, it would take a little while to set up, but it wouldn’t be hard, maybe i could make up a plan and submit it to the conservatory? they could do a nighttime exhibit and…”

There was another flutter of wings close by and Edge kept his gentle grip on Stretch’s hands, holding him still and waiting for him to notice the approach of brilliant orange wings. 

The butterfly did not seem to be dissuaded by the ongoing stream of chatter, landing with a flicker of wings right atop Stretch’s skull. Stretch didn’t notice, even as the little creature crawled forward to investigate the smooth bone, tempted, perhaps, by the sweet aroma of his magic.

“…plus you have to consider the possibilities of adding moths to the collection, a night time display would…”

“Love,” Edge interrupted and Stretch blinked at him, a faint, embarrassed flush rising in his cheekbones.

“oh. sorry, i was just—” He blinked again as Edge held up his phone.

“Hold still.” A quiet tap of his finger against the screen later and Edge held out his phone silently, showing Stretch the photo. Of himself, faint confusion on his face and a butterfly sitting above his right socket, as pretty as a bow.

He froze, eye lights tipping upward until they were nearly rolled back into his skull. 

“You can’t see the top of your head, love,” Edge chuckled. “Here.” Very carefully, he set a finger against Stretch’s skull, nudging encouragingly and to his relief, the butterfly stepped onto it amicably enough, allowing him to bring it down within Stretch’s sight. 

He sucked in a sharp breath, almost a moan, whispering, “ohhhh, it’s a glasswinged butterfly, _greta oto_ , those are rare, look at that, isn’t it gorgeous?”

Edge wasn’t sure about that, but it was certainly fascinating. Its wings were edged in bright orange surrounding a transparent center, broken only by dark lines like a stained-glass window. It lingered, content to sit on Edge’s gloved finger while Stretch looked at it with barely contained excitement, his eye lights as brilliant an orange as those wingtips. 

Eventually, it fluttered away and Stretch let out a stuttered gasp, confirming Edge’s suspicions that he was hardly breathing during these encounters. 

“did you…” Stretch started, shook his head and tried again, “…can you believe…”

His hands were already moving, fumbling to express what his words were failing to, and Edge caught them gently, drawing them down. “If you can hold still, you might see another,” Edge teased. “If.”

“I can hold still,” Stretch told him loftily, and spoiled it immediately by tipping his skull up with a startled sound, taking in iridescent blue wings fluttering nearby. Defiantly, it ignored the enticement of Stretch’s honey-sweet scent and chose instead to settle on Edge’s sleeve, the contrary little thing. Its wings waved lazily, the lustrous blue shimmering in the light.

“ _morpho peleides_ ,” Stretch whispered. Edge would take him at his word on that one. He held still, letting Stretch drink in the sight of a butterfly he never would have seen if they hadn’t come to the surface. 

When it flew away, they both watched it go and Edge listened as Stretch offered a somewhat rambling explanation as to how it used the bright iridescent color, which was caused by the diffraction of light on millions of tiny scales, to frighten away predators, and that species preferred the juice from rotting fruit, wasn’t that interesting and—

The lecture he only mostly listened to, nodding and agreeing when appropriate to keep it from ending. His focus was on searching for other butterflies, on the specks of bright yellows and muted browns, soft blues and brilliant oranges fluttering around, waiting for another to alight where his love could see it. 

-finis-

**Author's Note:**

> hj-skb did a gorgeous piece of art for this: [please look at it and love it](https://hj-skb.tumblr.com/post/180636534764/a-scene-based-on-the-fic-learning-to-fly-by)


End file.
